AT A GLANCE
- Sha’Carri Richardson finished fifth in the women’s 100m final, while U.S. teammate Melissa Jefferson-Wooden took gold in a championship record 10.61.
- Noah Lyles earned bronze in the men’s 100m final as Jamaica’s Oblique Seville shocked the field with 9.77.
- Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone advanced in the women’s 400m flat, setting up a showdown with Salwa Eid Naser and Marileidy Paulino.
- The World Athletics Championships run through Sept. 21– Watch on NBC/Peacock
U.S. Tracks Stars Deliver in Tokyo
Sha’Carri Richardson and Noah Lyles walked off the track Saturday night with something they hadn’t felt all season: momentum. Both defending world champions took care of business in their preliminary heats in the 100 meter.
Lyles ran 9.95 seconds to win his heat, matching Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson, though Thompson only pushed for 60 meters. The American, who edged Thompson by .005 seconds at the Paris Olympics, admitted he’s been struggling all year. “I was tightening my muscles, and every time I tighten my muscles, my stride gets shorter,” Lyles said. “I loosened up and, suddenly, it’s working.”
Jamaica Take Gold and Silver in Men’s 100-meter
However the next on Sunday, Noah Lyles could not defend his crown. Jamaica’s Oblique Seville delivered, winning in 9.77 seconds — a personal best that shocked the field.
Kishane Thompson, Lyles’ Olympic rival, took silver in 9.82, while Lyles finished third in 9.89. The bronze keeps him on the podium but marks the end of the U.S. reign as consecutive world champs.
The result was historic: Jamaica had not won a men’s 100m world title since Usain Bolt in 2015, or a global sprint gold since Bolt’s final Olympic Games in 2016. Bolt himself was in the stands to witness Seville and Thompson deliver a 1-2 finish that reignited Jamaican sprint supremacy.
Lyles will now focus on his signature 200m, where his season-best 19.63 leads the world. He enters the event as the favorite when heats begin Sept. 17.
Richardson Misses the Podium as Jefferson-Wooden Shines
Sha’Carri Richardson’s Tokyo campaign ended without redemption in the women’s 100m final. The defending champion finished fifth in 10.94 seconds, shaking her head as her training partner, Melissa Jefferson-Wooden, surged to gold.
Jefferson-Wooden, coached by former U.S. sprinter Dennis Mitchell, stormed to victory in 10.61 — a new championship record that broke Richardson’s 10.65 mark from Budapest two years ago.
Richardson had battled injuries all season, advancing from the semifinals as one of the fastest losers with an 11.00 before dipping under 11 seconds for the first time this year in the final. A stumble off the blocks cost her any chance at the podium. She will now look ahead to the women’s sprint relay, with heats scheduled for Sept. 20.
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone’s Smooth Debut
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone’s first appearance at a global championship in the 400m flat went as smoothly as expected. The world record holder in the 400m hurdles eased through her heat in 49.41, second-fastest overall behind Salwa Eid Naser’s 49.13.
“It’s amazing to be back to Tokyo,” McLaughlin-Levrone said. “I was focused on the first half of the race tonight and ran it well. I did it relaxed.”
The 26-year-old American, already a two-time Olympic champion, now has a clear path to the semifinals on Sept. 16 and the final on Sept. 18, where she’ll meet Olympic champion Marileidy Paulino and Naser in one of the marquee showdowns of the meet.
Other Highlights in Tokyo
- Olympic champion Tara Davis-Woodhall advanced in the long jump with just one attempt, enjoying the full stadium after finishing sixth in front of empty seats four years ago.
- Ryan Crouser, nursing an elbow injury all year, surprised himself with a 22.34-meter throw to capture his third straight world shot put title.
- Kenya’s Beatrice Chebet, the world-record holder in the 10,000, delivered again by pulling away late to win gold in 30:37.61.
- The U.S. 4×400 mixed relay squad held off Dutch star Femke Bol, with Alexis Holmes sealing the victory.
Remaining Schedule and How to Watch
The World Championships run through Sunday, Sept. 21 at Japan National Stadium. You cancatch the World Championships on NBC and Peacock.
- Sept. 16: Women’s 400m semifinals; Men’s 200m heats (Noah Lyles).
- Sept. 17: Women’s 200m heats; Men’s 200m semifinals.
- Sept. 18: Women’s and Men’s 400m finals; Women’s and Men’s 200m semifinals.
- Sept. 19: Women’s and Men’s 200m finals; Women’s and Men’s 400m hurdles finals.
- Sept. 20–21: Relay events, distance finals, and combined events wrap up the meet.
